CONSTIPATION

DIARRHEA

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Foods That Cause Constipation

Knowing the foods that cause constipation can lead you to making smarter choices every day and with every meal.

One of the best constipation remedies is knowing which foods you should avoid that commonly cause constipation.

What sounds better than a juicy red steak, some french fries and a crunchy sourdough roll? Throw in a few chicken wings as a appetizer or some onion rings. Do you know what you have now?

A recipe for constipation.

So what are the foods that cause constipation? And why do they? I am going to review the common culprits here and explain a little bit about why they act to increase constipation.

Basically, all foods that are low in fiber and high in fat can lead to constipation. Fat is not easily digested and low fiber foods actually absorb more fluid in the intestines that high fiber foods.

This is not a complete list, but a list of the top few items that if you try to remove from your diet, you may see a huge improvement in bowel health.

As I have said previously, before you implement changes, it is best to talk to your elderly loved one and explain why you are making these changes. Don't attempt to remove everything at once. It is hard on the body system and makes it less likely for you to get cooperation from your loved one.

Same advice, different page: START LOW AND GO SLOW

If dad's favorite snack is cheese and crackers, don't take that entirely away. Talk with him, look at all the possible contributing factors and remove one food item at a time.

Milk and Milk Products

Milk and all milk products have animal proteins that need to be digested by the body and are some of the primary foods that cause constipation. They are also low fiber/high fat foods.

All milk products fall into this category, including milk, cheese, yogurt and sour cream to name a few. Oh yes ... and of course .. my favorite. Ice cream.

As much as we all love a cool drink of milk and a slice of good cheese, you would be better served to remember that cow's milk belongs to cow's babies ... not human adults.

Limit the intake of milk and milk products if you can. You may find that everyone in the house hold ends up feeling better.

Try milk free ice creams. They are actually quite good and are made from either soy or rice milk. They are a staple in our household.

Fried and Processed Foods

Fried foods are also high in fat and usually low in fiber. Processed and refined foods often go through a process that removes the natural fiber that may have been in the food in the first place.

Convenience foods such as prepackaged meals and snacks are typically low in fiber as well. Take the time to look at the fiber and fat content of packaged foods you may purchase for the home, and chose ones that are high in fiber.

Avoid fast foods whenever possible. Busy schedules may demand that some meals every week are from fast food restaurants, but try to eliminate most, if not all, of them.

Red Meat

Unfortunately, this is one of my favorite foods and I have found it is also a favorite of my elderly patients. Nothing quite beats a juicy red steak, especially if they have grown up on a red meat diet.

The experts say to limit red meat consumption to a maximum of once weekly. My advice, try just limiting it. The idea of switching to a boiled chicken and fish diet just doesn't sound very appealing.

The reasoning behind this claim is that red meat is difficult to digest and is high in fat. Limiting your loved one's intake may help.

Try using ground turkey in place of hamburger in your recipes ... or use a half and half mixture of beef and turkey. You really won't notice the difference.

These are your main culprits for foods that cause constipation. You don't have to eliminate them all, just try replacing high fat / low fiber foods gradually with low fat / high fiber foods.

Hopefully now you have a better understanding of the foods that cause constipation and why they do.

Don't take dad's favorite food completely away. It just isn't fair and sometimes you may need to decide to add additional prunes and just let dad have his ice cream every night before bed.

It's never worth a fight. Just use the knowledge you've gleaned here and try to make gradual changes in the types of foods you are offering.